Blazer has a litter box, so she is allowed to roam the house like a dog or cat. There are pet steps next to the couple’s bed which enable Blazer to get up and down, although the bunny usually comes up during the daytime when the couple is awake and rarely visits the bed during the night.

Mary Pruett recounts that at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Saturday night, Blazer woke her up by “walking on my face and making noises like a horn was stuck in her nose.” Once awake, Pruett immediately smelled the gas leak and roused her husband Jake. They quickly got out of their house with Blazer, then called the Bridgeton City fire department.

Fireman Steve Chambers observed that “it is lucky that they got out alive. Leaks like this are often fatal either due to death from toxicity of the gas or an explosion.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, there are as many as 500 deaths a year due to gas leaks. Since carbon monoxide causes unconsciousness, victims who are already asleep often die without waking up.

In the case of the Pruetts, the gas leak was due to a faulty stove installation. Firemen were able to stop the gas that same night, and the Pruetts and Blazer returned to their home the next day, Sunday, after the fumes had vented.